It can't really be August 20th, can it?

Any times in the past that I've said I was busy... yeah.. ignore those. August is very, very, very busy this year! Between dance and Oz and soccer and work and visits .. I don't know if I'm coming or going anymore. In fact, I'm attempting to get this blog finished within 15 minutes so I can go pick Tiernan up from his second play today. Due to this crazy tornado of a month, we've been eating a lot of dinners that I've already blogged about. Like portobello mushroom pasta, veggie lasagna, taco dip, creamy asparagus pasta, caesar salad, (curried) chickpea salad sandwhiches, paninis and simple things like poutine and veggies and dip. You know - all the things I can make with my eyes closed. I do have a couple of super simple recipes to share, as well as one idea rather than recipe.

First though! Photos of some of our latest adventures.

Opening night of The Wizard of Oz at the Empire Theatre has come and passed! The show (which we attended) was fan-freaking-tastic! The cast - both professional and young company played their hearts out. The costumes, the singing, the story - all of it was amazing. The girl who plays Dorothy (Emma) is a friend of ours, and she is one talented young lady! She could knock your socks off with her triple threat talent - singing, dancing and acting. If you're in the area, please go to the show. There are still shows Sunday the 21st until Saturday the 27th with the exclusion of Monday the 22nd. Some days there are both the matinee and evening show, so check the website out and buy your tickets! It's so worth it.

On opening night we picked up some sunflowers (we have always called him our Sunshine) and a Wizard of Oz book to give to our little thespian. He also got a lollipop from one of the wonderful women who looks after all these munchkins. It was so thoughtful - a lollipop for the boys in the Lollipop Guild! I love it. Tiernan was adorable up on that stage as a munchkin, creepy as can be as a flying monkey and so graceful as snow. He did so well! We are incredibly proud of him - more than ever!

On the second day of Oz my sister Carole and her kids came into town to watch the play and then came over for dinner. What better place for the kids to eat than on the floor, picnic style? :)

The next day we held our tradition of a Pizza Pool Party at the hotel. The best part? They stayed at our hotel, the Best Western. We lived in that hotel for a month when we first moved here and it still feels like home to us. The smells from the cleaner. The perfect swimming pool - warm, not too deep, big floor to ceiling windows to let the light in. The breakfast/dining room that had the microwave we needed to use daily. I still remember warming my tea up there after getting the kids to school and then curling up in the big comfy bed in our suite watching MTV shows while I got over H1N1. I loved that hotel! If it hadn't cost that much to stay I might never have left. ;) I just wish our favourite girl had been working at the desk that day! I saw her leaving just as we were pulling in. She was awesome!

Hot tub!

All the cousins - best friends, always! These kids are so very close. It's an amazing thing to witness! (Their faces look a bit sad, but that's because it was time to say farewell.)

And now for the few food items I wanted to blog about. One is the Thai Chick-Un Pizza from Eat Drink & Be Vegan (very scrumptious!), one is some herbed buttermilk biscuits (very comforting!) and the other is english muffin pizzas (easy and great for snacks or school lunches!). Sometime I will blog the two different beer-y pizza crusts Kyle made in our bread maker (that we got from my Dad - thank you!). Right now is not the time, though! It's time for Lost.

Thai Chick-Un Pizza

Thai Sauce:

2/3 cup natural peanut butter

1/3 cup ketchup

2 tbsp rice vinegar

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 cloves garlic, quartered

1 1/2 tbsp fresh chopped ginger

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 cup light coconut milk

1-2 tbsp water

1 1/2 - 2 tsp agave nectar

toppings:

1 cup cooked chickpeas

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

3/4 cup pineapple chunks

1/2 cup bean sprouts

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix all of the sauce ingredients together and blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Spread the sauce over your pizza shell. In a bowl, lightly flatten the chickpeas. Sprinkle them over the crust. Add the bell pepper and pineapple over the crust as well. Bake 17-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and add the bean sprouts.

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Buttermilk Herbed Biscuits

2 cups flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 salt

1/2 cup butter

1 tsp dill

1 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix all of the dry ingredients in one bowl. Cut in the butter and mix until crumbly. Add the buttermilk and mix well. Knead for a few minutes on a floured surface. Roll dough into round golf sized balls (or slightly bigger) and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

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A really great fun food dinner is english muffin pizzas. I think these will be a regular lunch food for the kids this year. Make some sauce at the beginning of the week and keep it in the fridge so I can easily whip some up in the morning before school. The kids will love it!

To make them just toast your english muffin, and put them on a baking sheet. Add your sauce, toppings of choice, cheese and then cook it in a 350 oven until the cheese starts to turn brown in places.

For the sauce this is what I do:

1 large can tomato paste

1/8 cup olive oil

3 tbsp pizza spice

pinch of red chilies

dash of sugar

Mix it up, store it in the fridge for up to a week. If you like your sauce thinner, add water. We like ours thick!

**Edited to add - I did not get this done in 15 minutes as I'd hoped. I started this 2 hours ago. Ha!**